Most modern software is typically created with a great deal of computer automated assistance. Such assistance is commercially available through any of a number of integrated development environments, or IDEs. For example, MICROSOFT'S VISUAL STUDIO®, BORLAND'S C++ BUILDERS, METROWERK'S CODE WARRIOR®, and IBM'S WEBSPHERE STUDIO® are all products presently available to assist in software creation. Such products provide a range of useful functions, such as, for example, editing properties of a software element (code file, control, field, etc.).
Tree view based editors within IDEs are intended for editing hierarchical data structures enabling the user to add elements and build hierarchical data structures while seeing the hierarchy as it exists in the tree structure. Editing the individual nodes' properties is an essential part of building these data structures, and thus it is desirable to have an integrated experience when creating elements in the tree and setting the properties. However, the editing of properties for nodes within the tree is typically done in a visually separate window or place, which is distracting to the user as it removes his or her focus from the content (code, metadata, etc.) that he or she is working on. Thus, it is desirable for a user to have an improved experience that will keep the user focused at the primary task in one place.
In this regard, there is a need for systems and methods that provide users of tree view based editors an improved experience in editing and viewing element properties which will keep a user focused in one place at the primary task.